Participant Spotlight

Meet Brennen Cabrera!

Brennen is a 21 year old self-taught artist in Louisville who has autism. Brennen’s passion for art began when he was only three years old. When his mother was preaching at their church on Sunday mornings, Brennen would sit in the pews and draw with just paper, pencils, and pens. After his parents began to take notice in his artistic ability, they would buy him drawing books that allowed him to free draw. Throughout elementary school, Brennen was put in a lot of art classes and camps. Brennen learned a lot of information from those art classes and eventually gained the confidence to instruct his own water color class at his church. Brennen was only in middle school when he began instructing art classes and workshops. From then, Brennen has instructed several art workshops through Zoom Group and The Council on Developmental Disabilities. Now he teaches art to a student at the School of the Blind. In his free time when he is not teaching art or working at the local Flower Shoppe, Brennen loves to paint whatever comes to mind. Brennen believes the inspiration for his work comes from all of the different emotions he feels on a daily basis. “I want people to feel what I am painting” says Brennen. He has a lot of his paintings hanging to decorate his apartment and others that he has sold to people in the community. Brennen has had the opportunity to have one of his paintings hanging in City Hall. There will be a press release for all of the artists to showcase their art. The date for the press release is to be determined. Brennen loves being able to participate in art events that aren’t just for people who have intellectual disabilities, because he wants people to know that his autism doesn’t define him as a person. “I want my art to be reflected as great art, not ‘great art for someone who has autism’” Brennen says. Path Forward loves seeing Brennen sharing his art work with the Louisville community. His unique personality is expressed in all of his artwork and gives us a glimpse of who Brennen is. Thanks for sharing your passion with us Brennen!